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Thursday, March 16, 2017

EVMs may not be but system is vulnerable to fraud ...

While Arvind Kejriwal and Mayavati are criticizing Electronic Voting Machines Anna Hazare has ridiculed these accusations of sore loser.No doubt Electronic Voting Machines (EVM)  are safe in protected environment and there may be rival arguments on whether EVMs are vulnerable to fraud or not.There are several possibilities that definitely raise doubts. In this post I don’t want to make any allegations but want to put plain facts that point the finger at entire  procedure followed in Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC ) elections. These facts are based on documents provided by election department. Election commission has to clarify on those doubts.


In  ward no 33 around 5 ballot units were changed without any reason or notice to candidates and in same ward  in around 21 booths sequence of ballot unit was changed. However due to lack of awareness nobody complained. This is something very serious. Before actual voting day EVM's were sealed in presence of candidates or their representatives. So question of change  of ballot units or their sequence  doesn't arise at all.

This time in PMC elections were conducted panel wise.Each ward electors had to elect 4 candidates. Elections were conducted in February 2017. 21 February was actual voting day and on 23 results were declared. But before that on 15th February  as per procedure EVMs were checked randomised , allotted booth wise, sequence wise  and sealed in presence of candidate or their representatives. Sequence of candidates was also set on the same day .Copies of serial no of booth wise ballot units (Bu) , Control unit and sequence of candidates set were given to candidate. ( see Annexure 1).

As all the BU and CU were sealed and kept in tight security question of  any change in it does not arise at all. However on actual polling day (21st February)  when polling staff opened Ballot units serial no’s of units were different from those recorded and sealed on 15th February. In booth no 10,12,28, 49 and 50  Ballot unit numbers were P44052, P 43551, MO22334, P143888 & P14390 respectively (see Annexure 1).But on  actual poling day those were P14992, P11947, MO23334, P 14386 & Mo 27617 respectively ( Annexure2) . If on voting day Ballot units are found faulty they can be changed after following proper procedure. Then how come these ballot units were changed ? Isn’t this serious?.

Control Unit numbers are also different in booth no 24 and 30 in copy handed over to candidate those were M22232 and M 21591 but on actual polling day those were changed to  7507 and 21595 respectively ( Annexure 3). In some cases on polling day control unit or ballot unit numbers were not recorded at all ( Annexure 4)

Sequence of ballot units was also changed in almost 20 booths. As per rules  Ballot Unit should be connected to control unit according sequence allotted to them only. Changing that sequence amounts to exchange of votes to another candidates. In ward no 33 almost on 20 booths sequence of  ballot units was changed. In booth no 1,5,8,11,15, 17,18,2224,32,40,54,57,62,65,66,71,76 and  79 ballot unit 1 was connected  to 2 and 2 to 1 (Annexture 5). This is also serious because machine doesn’t read panel number or names of candidates . It reads numbers serially.


In the nutshell somebody from the system itself or from outside had access to the sealed machines and strong rooms. Election commissions has to clarify on these issues. 

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